


my four-leaf clover

by dokkal



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: BYAKUYA BEING A GOOD DAD, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, No Beta, Tsukasa Needs A Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:34:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23291044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dokkal/pseuds/dokkal
Summary: Tsukasa was running away from the beach, from the drunk man and Senku happened to be lucky enough to appear on his path to cover for him
Relationships: Ishigami Senkuu/Shishiou Tsukasa
Comments: 13
Kudos: 202





	1. encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> note: POV changes halfway through!

Buying rocket parts took longer than Senku expected. The manager of the shop gave him the least of his troubles, who welcomes him with a fond look second to Byakuya looking at him (he could gag but he appreciates them nonetheless), from having known him for being the kid that acts way too old for his age. Byakuya was probably home from work and training at the gym for the next astronaut recruitment, and should already be preparing dinner.

There was road construction ongoing on the streets on his way home, on the route that got him home five minutes earlier. He heads to the street next to a river for a detour. Along the steep slopes of a riverbank, Senku doesn’t look at anything else but the river beside him and the path he walked on. The grounds around him were familiar, down the river bank was where he’d perform experiments with a clueless but supportive Taiju, and also get back at a few bullies for harassing his friend. Somehow, the waterway still had a small river dribbling through the middle, and the area was pretty much free of people.

There was a duck dawdling down there alone, and Senku winces as he recognizes the same feathered pattern and a unique stripe of yellow on its right eye, the same one that quacked and chased him a few days back.

Senku was nearing the bridge and his house is a few blocks away. Before he turns away from the riverbank, a brown blur speeds past Senku, creating a gust of wind that startles him.

“Wha—” A pink shell drops beside Senku’s sneakers. The boy who ran past him ducked under the bridge, hiding on the very edge where it was dark and practically unnoticeable if Senku didn’t see him duck with his own eyes. Senku makes out some faint red marks on the arms of the boy’s arm before he went under.

His grip went tight on the cylindrical rocket body. A boy with a heaving breath and footsteps from behind him doesn’t implicate much, but Senku decides to go with his gut feelings. When the sound of thumping closes in from behind him, Senku bats away from the bridge and turns around, covering the lone pink shell with his shoe immediately.

“Hey, you see a brat ‘round here? Short, brown eyes, brown hair, looking kind of dirty,” The man was still intimidating even with a voice that sounded half-sober, to say the least. He wears a short and brown sleeveless shirt that was stretched too much to cover his big stomach.

“No,” Senku says firmly, pressing harder on the pink shell, the rims of it digging into the permeable sandy dirt.

The man stands stiff and unconvinced. His hostile look seems to mock Senku for simply breathing. “Are you sure? Children shouldn’t lie, you know? He stole something _important_ from me.”

The intent to hurt oozes from his bloodshot eyes, but Senku doesn’t avert his gaze, doesn’t buy his intimidation.

“My dad and my teachers are doing plenty disciplining me,” Senku shoos him away with a hand, his other hand slips into his pocket as the inside of his arm grasps onto his rocket part. “Boohoo. Old man, please do leave me alone before I pull my alarm.”

The man looks at Senku, then flickers towards the distance where a lone bicycling policeman was patrolling the area. He clicks his tongue and turns around, mumbling a string of vulgar words that Senku mutes out. He waits until the man fades out of sight, disappearing around the corner of the furthest house in the distance. And with that, Senku sighs, relieved, as the threat finally looms over.

One side tells him he should let the nice policeman handle it, but his other side tells him he needs to bring him back for immediate attention. Conflicted, Senku chews the inner part of his cheek. He walks over to the inside of the bridge without thinking. He guesses he’ll have to explain to Byakuya what took him so long.

“Hey,” Senku starts. “What’s your name?”

-

Senku realizes they're from the same school as soon as he sees his face. He’s two grades above him and should be in his first year of middle school. Senku sees him often because they always arrive at school at the same time before. 

_Tsukasa_ , he tests the name, mouthing it silently. It was different from the name coming to his mind when the last time Tsukasa walking through the school gates, different now that he was standing right before him, with hair that seems too silky for it to exist. Yes, that was in fact the first thing he noticed, then his eyes which were about the same color. It probably looks pretty under the sun.

Tsukasa used to be the rep of his grade for most of the relay races and other athletic events at his school, but his surprisingly quiet nature amongst his classmates sort of buries his outstanding achievements. He always heads in the direction where the busiest part of the city was, so Senku always assumed he was secretly from a rich family, any further assumptions were just digging too far and screams curiosity. Senku never paid exclusive attention to anyone but his childhood friends and people who call for him, just perceptive enough to notice patterns of the people he sees at school, though Tsukasa was the one he noticed the most.

Byakuya would often joke with him that if Senku’s perceptiveness is expected at his age, then what does that make him, an adult?

Tsukasa seems to have more bruises and cuts under his dirt battered shirt, Senku presumes, before he accidentally jabs the boy in the ribs when he was attempting to pull him out of the bridge. Tsukasa was stronger than him of course, but Senku was the one pulling, so even his strength that amounts to a water flea had an advantage. He pulls half on Tsukasa’s long sleeves and half his hand, the hem of the shirt reveals his bruises and marks underneath.

Senku frowns. “Look here, _Tsukasa_ , you’re injured and need medical attention,” Senku grits his teeth, words stuttering with each pull he makes. “Stop. Being. Stubborn. And. Come with me!”

“I said I’m fine! I’m going home— _!”_ Tsukasa says, his voice wasn’t refusing, but his body was putting up a reluctant fight over it. Tsukasa hacks out a cough, his hand patting his shirt, probably where a bruise was hiding.

Tsukasa was finally willing to go along with him soon after, to Senku’s relief, but the boy was still jumpy and felt uneasy. Senku knows what’s wrong, though going around in circles with his speech to convince someone to follow him wasn’t his forte.

“Okay. Then I’ll ask again, would you consider at least getting cleaned and patched up? ‘Cause I’m sure the policeman over there won’t let you go untreated even if you refuse me,” Senku points over his shoulder with a thumb.

“Ah, is that Senku-kun? Is everything alright, boy?” The policeman was finally within earshot, Senku felt the flinch from Tsukasa’s arm.

“Yes, good afternoon, sir, my classmate fell down the riverbank. I’m taking him home to treat him right now.” Senku says as Tsukasa steps behind him. Tsukasa’s physique is around the same as his, though he can say for sure something about that might change.

“Be careful on your way back now,” He warns, attention turning to Tsukasa after. “You too, the grass is pretty slippery, be careful next time.”

Tsukasa nods cautiously, his arm is still held by Senku. The loud, ringing bells on the policeman’s bicycle fade from their ears by the second.

“Where do you live? I’ll take you back,” Senku says nonchalantly, his question made him look out of it as if done quarreling with him. He readjusts his grip on his rocket part.

“Wait, you’re not going to…”

“What, so you do want to come to my house after all?” Senku says, smug.

“N—” Tsukasa stammers, shaking his arm out of Senku’s grip. “No! It hurts a lot, so at least get me treated first!”

“Fine, fine,” Senku cackles at his embarrassment. As they head back, Tsukasa continues to walk slower than him, or rather, he seems to refuse to walk beside him for some reason.

-

The sky was still orange at large by the time they reached Senku’s house. The door to their house opens, welcoming a flurry of savory smells, making Tsukasa’s stomach growl a little.

“I’m home,” Senku calls through the hallway from the entrance. In a few seconds, someone from the opposite side appears.

“That’s Byakuya,” Senku says, smug, for some unknown reason that Tsukasa has yet to know about. Byakuya was in a white apron with a cartoon Siamese cat on the bottom right corner. He welcomes Senku home and welcomes with a wide grin without a shadow of doubt or judgment, simply asked for his name and a brief word from Senku of what happened.

Byakuya settles Tsukasa in the living room, towards the middle cushions of the connecting couches that enclose a low coffee table. Tsukasa watches him talk with Senku a little as he fills three cups of water from the water dispenser. Byakuya turns off the stove lights and lets whatever was cooking in the pots under the lowest setting before walking over with water.

Tsukasa finds himself inexplicably opening up, whether it was the smell of homemade dinner that softens his usual cautiousness at a stranger’s house or was it the heartwarming chatter between Senku and Byakuya—without him realizing, his heart turns up like oiled up cogs, finally flicked back into life. He explains the aftermath of the bruises and scratches, calmly, though he muted the existence of the drunk man with obvious hints Byakuya could pick up.

“ _Whoaa_ , Byakuya, you’re getting good at treating wounds,” Senku says as he brings over first aid materials on a tray.

“An astronaut can at least do this much, don’t underestimate me, Senku!” Byakuya sniffs.

The ringing of a phone sounds on a wall adjacent to them, giving both Byakuya and Tsukasa a jolt of surprise, both of them laugh a little in embarrassment.

“Who’s calling this late?” Senku sets down what he was doing, dabbing some liquid onto a wad of cotton. He hands it to Byakuya before heading to the phone ringing from the wall.

“Ah,” Byakuya says in realization as Senku reaches for the phone. “Taiju wanted to speak to you about something, I’ve approved for it already, but it’s up to you if you wanna go through with it.”

“O-K,” Senku turns away to talk on the phone.

Tsukasa made sure his eyes didn't wander, but the surroundings put plenty of pressure onto him, pressure with a core so hollow he could drop it like brittle glass. It was the muffling of someone on a phone, the smell of beef stew and curry and the voice of the same news anchor talking through the TV in front of him, reminiscent of a distant memory.

Byakuya hands him a tissue silently, but Tsukasa doesn’t realize what was handed in front of him until the tissue was used to blot the tear running down his cheek. Neither of them says anything, so Byakuya tucks the tissue in Tsukasa’s hands that were folded on his thighs, then Byakuya continues to dab rubbing alcohol on his knee.

“Sorry, does it hurt? Your knees are bleeding a bit, after all.”

“No,” Tsukasa felt no pain, his tolerance was high. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. You’re so brave. Senku would be so embarrassed to have me do this for him when he gets hurt ‘cause he’ll cry.”

“I would not be embarrassed! I won’t cry!” Senku hollers, his glare throwing daggers at Byakuya who does not look the slightest taken aback. “My bad, Taiju, could you say that again? I didn’t catch what you said.”

“Mister Byakuya,” Tsukasa says, gaining Byakuya’s undivided attention, who was cleaning up the scraps of used cotton and any small white slips from the bandages.

“You seem—” Tsukasa searches for words in his mind to fit, then finally settled on one, “—used to this.”

“I’m more or less used to Senku bringing kids home. He's caring, no matter what comes out of that mouth of his,” Byakuya says with a wide, fond grin. “Though most of the time he brings them to the nearby police station,” He adds.

The cautious front Tsukasa built up was wearing away so fast, in front of the boy who saved him, in front of the boy’s father who welcomed him as if he were his own son, both of them were so honest it blinds and confuses him on what to do next. It was something unknown to him. He will never take this unknown for granted.

One thing’s for sure, the curry he ate with them was delicious, better than the cold egg sandwiches he buys for lunch from the convenience store. Byakuya jokes it’s one of the only things he could make easily, and Senku affirms it with a witty remark.

Byakuya offered to take Tsukasa home because it was getting late. Tsukasa slips into his sneakers with caution. They were already cleaned, pretty much free from dirt and grime, though the marks etched deep into the worn material couldn’t be removed.

“Here,” Senku pulls out a mini bag from the square bag attached to his belt, there was a pink seashell inside it.

“Ah, you didn’t have to…” Tsukasa says, grateful. “Put it in a bag, you know…”

“The bag’s made by me,” Senku says, if not he's nothing but proud. “From seaweed,”

“If it’s this small, wouldn’t it be a bit pointless to make?” Tsukasa asks.

“It’s biodegradable! It’s not pointless!”

Tsukasa barely suppresses a laugh coming out. The surprise comes later, realizing a kid talking about biodegradable plastic meant he must know everything else that led to it.

“Hmmm, if that’s what it takes to make someone laugh maybe I’ll do it again,” Senku noted, writing on a small notepad he took from his belt bag.

“I think that only applies to me though? What kind of elementary school kid _are_ you?”

“I am just a normal elementary kid?” Senku says, almost baffled for whatever reason. Tsukasa’s just as baffled, at how Senku thinks he’s in the normal range.

“Also I lied. I’m still studying how to make it. I got those bags from one of Byakuya’s colleagues. Anyways, what kind of middle school kid are _you_?”

Tsukasa was at a loss for words, not at how his mind was unable to think of comebacks, no he has a lot of them. He never laughed this hard in front of his friends, or his parents.

“Alright, are we good to go?” Byakuya finally enters the hallway, changed from his kitty apron and slacks into a plain suit, no ties though. He was rolling up the cuffs of his sleeves, a leather rectangular bag clutched between his arm and body.

“Mm,” Tsukasa nods, his eyes finally stopped tearing up from laughs. He looks at Senku one last time, out of something akin to awe. They exchange stares at each other for a moment.

“See you,” Senku says, finally tearing apart. His eyes were then gleaming at him with a longing look, one that seems to wish him good luck.

Tsukasa smiles sadly back to Senku before turning around. “See you.”

  
  


The night wasn’t cold, as they were barely entering the month that’s going into fall. The sun was still out, barely, having only a sliver illuminating the distance. And they walk under the street lamps that just started lighting up.

When he pushes open the small gate to his house, Tsukasa asks Byakuya, “Byakuya, are you going to work?”

“No,” Byakuya says sadly, gripping onto the straps of his bag. “I can only be home on the weekends because of work. One of his aunties is gonna come over to watch him.”

“I see. Are you an astronaut? That’s so _cool_ ,” Tsukasa says, excitement covers all of his face.

“One in training! One day when you see me in an astronaut suit on national television, you better tweet about it! Ah, wait, you’re too young to have Twitter...” Byakuya says, hands covering his mouth as if he is deeply contemplating alternatives.

“Just wish me a safe trip, yeah? It’ll be a while so maybe, make well with Senku if you two meet again, yeah?”

Tsukasa lets out a breath that turns into an airy chuckle, in the end, his smile finally reaching his eyes.

“Of course, have a safe trip, Byakuya,” Tsukasa bows courteously. Tsukasa doesn’t know which one of Byakuya’s requests he was accepting, but he decides to let time do that judgment for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I wasn't sure whose POV to use so I took the liberty of this being the first chapter and did both just to get a feel for both Senku and Tsukasa; not sure if/when I'll continue on this but my plot so far is just: they meet again (hopefully soon cause, cough, childhood friends) and finally become good, good friends
> 
> Comments and constructive criticism are appreciated!  
> Also stay hydrated and safe and wash your hands! Have a nice day!


	2. my youth, our youth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> more, more tsukasen

At some point in their budding friendship, Senku somehow manages to dig up his birthday. They were hanging by the mall entrance, near a spot where there were cement walls that acted as seats.

“For your birthday, happy belated,” Senku says, handing over a blue bag. Inside it was a wrapped present with red ribbons, clumsily tied, then he continues after earning a look of confusion from Tsukasa.

“It’s a small fountain. Add some water and plug it near a wall. Then it’ll turn on and make sounds like a waterfall. It’s to help you sleep better. Better listening to this than the silence at night, right?”

Genuine sincerity laced Senku's actions and words, but mostly, his _eyes_ , just honest and a hundred percent here in the moment with him. Tsukasa feels bad for doubting his words. Even though Tsukasa hasn’t told anyone how the nights were keeping him up, Senku, his first friend of a scant few months, still went out of his way with that minor detail of his eyes and gave him _this._

“It’s my first time receiving such a gift.” Most of his birthday presents were handmade fabric dolls from Mirai, safely stashed in his desk drawer. “Thank you,” Tsukasa gives him a big smile, to which Senku responds with a nonchalant wave of the hand, though his eyes seem to shy away from him soon after.

“Did my eyes tell you I wasn’t sleeping?” Tsukasa asks, even though it’s obvious.

“Part of it was,” Senku kicks the cement ground with his heels. “I wanted to do this and give it to you later, but then Byakuya told me that doing nice things for people isn't like making an appointment or an experiment I can control.” Senku narrows his eyes as he finishes talking, confusion written on his furrowed brows.

“I think I understand.” Tsukasa says softly, understanding. “It’s alright if you don’t understand now.”

“No,” Senku protests, hopping off his seat, dusting his behind. “I _need_ to understand why.” His fists clench tightly, and Tsukasa wants to unravel that.

“Senku—” Tsukasa starts.

“I know I’m just a kid,” Senku interjects, turning to face him with eyes glinting with wild, untamed determination. “But when I get older, next time, I’ll make a fountain for you with my own skills,” Senku proclaims.

_Next time._ Tsukasa clings to the implication of his words like it’s a magic spell, worrying away his doubts. His first friend is here to stay.

“But maybe you won’t be interested in the same gift twice.”

“It’s the thought that counts, Senku,” Tsukasa responds honestly.

“I guess,” Senku looks away, gaze lingering on the orange sky. “Maybe that’s what Byakuya meant.”

.

If he squints, Tsukasa can see the dark splotches of Mirai’s stuffed toy Dalmatian warping into shapes of something sinister, a rendition of Tsukasa’s greatest fears. Even Mirai’s dolls were lively to make fun of him.

The small fountain in the corner of his room fills the ambient silence that is just starting to teeter over the edge of something evil. It was a small thing, layered rocks in many shades of midnight blue and grey inside a marble bowl, and heavy enough for him to use two hands to lift.

The water cascades against each layer of rock in a zigzag fashion, thrumming through the smooth of the rock until it meets the bottom of the bowl, then the device drags some of the water back up again for the cycle to continue.

The sounds of waterfalls lull him into a pleasant dream of him sailing above the wide expanse of the sea, to having curry with the Ishigami family, and then to many more, all of which had vague connections to one another that he won’t be able to remember when he wakes. Tsukasa sleeps through the rest of his nights without waking once.

.

Senku invites Tsukasa to his birthday party. Having begrudgingly accepted Byakuya’s plea of hosting a party for his eleventh birthday, Senku himself seems restless with excitement that explodes when the party starts, Tsukasa noted.

It was a small party with platters of homemade and takeout and assorted iced drinks, a few friends of Senku’s are in attendance with Byakuya as the only adult. The television plays with an assortment of shows as background noise. It was strangely fun. Tsukasa had envisioned a great party he’s seen on TV where there would be a mess to clean and hungover, but then he realizes they were still kids.

The party of five people easily filled the room as if there were twenty guests. Tsukasa meets Taiju and Yuzuriha, who contributed greatly to the howling madness during the peak of the party.

Senku is unusually out of his calm disposition, answering Taiju’s dense questions with yells (lovingly), save for the times he gets so giddy as he goes on a tangent about the complex nature of molecules and atoms. Sitting next to him on the couch, Yuzuriha’s shoulders shake uncontrollably as a fond laugh erupts from her as well.

“Hey, Tsukasa. Has Senku told you about the rocket he’s building?” Yuzuriha asks him rather casually. A rocket.

“A rocket?” Tsukasa is suddenly taken aback, but once again, he realizes. This is Senku they're talking about. So he shifts to face her and ask more, curious.

“Hey, hey, Yuzuriha, I was gonna tell him that myself.” A voice comes from his back. Senku rests his cup of soda on the coffee table and settles next to Tsukasa.

“Oops!” Yuzuriha looks over and covers her mouth, feigning shock as if the truth of the universe was revealed.

“Anyways,” Senku clears his throat, catching both of their undivided attention. “Yeah, that, I’m going to build a rocket. I don’t think the real thing’s going to be built anytime soon, _duh_ , but I’m making small test rockets for now.”

Tsukasa makes a noise of awe and lauds Senku with a number of well-intentioned praise. He meant every single one of them, ten billion percent quoted from Senku. The latter probably already heard them all from Byakuya.

On a rather selfish note, Tsukasa mostly did it because Senku is reactive to each of his praises even if the younger boy shoots him down with a dismissive grunt (Tsukasa doesn’t understand the warm feeling starting to grow in his chest), something Tsukasa doesn’t see happen when Byakuya is the one who showers his son with half-choked sobs of praise. Yuzuriha giggles silently behind him.

.

The hospital’s smell always puts a damper on Tsukasa’s mood, but this time he’s visiting with a good friend, and somehow that makes it slightly easier on him. Someone warm to lean on instead of the cold hospital sheets.

They check in, the silence in the elevator during the way up is deafening to his ears. As he makes his way up, the world seems to want to push him down. He doesn’t realize he had a death grip on Senku’s hand until the elevator’s ding snaps him out of his haze. Senku doesn’t complain once.

Tsukasa introduces Mirai to his good friend. Senku steps forward. Within a respective distance, Senku introduces himself.

“Hello, Mirai,” Senku says so gently to the sleeping girl, Tsukasa’s breath hitches in surprise, a new side he’s discovered, or rather, an existing side of him that only Senku allowed him to see.

“My parents’ health was never the best,” Tsukasa says finally after a few beats of silence. “They can only do so much even with side jobs.” Both of them are sitting, Tsukasa on the bedside, Senku on the stool. He steels his mind as the next words talking about his goals rolls out of him with determination.

Senku’s expression is grim, likely mirroring the one currently on Tsukasa’s face.

“Are you sure?” Senku asks. “Is that all you want from me?”

Tsukasa nods. “Yes. It’s enough.”

Senku opens his mouth, then closes. “I...I don’t know much about your choice,” He confesses. “And I can’t even help much.”

“Senku, you’re helping a lot.”

“It’s not enough.” Somehow, Senku is always in a rush to learn things, to grow up, not letting his childhood catch up to his lofty goals that give adults a run for their money. But Tsukasa saw how his friends, including him, had helped pace Senku’s impatient mind by simply being there for the younger boy.

Tsukasa’s voice softens. “It’s enough as long as you stay by my side.”

Senku finally looks at him, so Tsukasa carries on. “You saved me from a beating from the man, didn’t you? So if you continue stayed by my side, it’s more than enough, Senku.”

Senku stays silent by his side, a bit miffed, a bit unsatisfied on his end, but he accepts it.

.

A year passes and the summer heat breaks the record for higher temperatures than last year. Tsukasa heaves the biggest sigh through his nose when the air condition hits his face. He steps into the entrance, knocking his heels out of his sneakers as he latches the door shut, the summer heat now only a shadow cowering under his skin.

As he pads through the short hallway leading to the living room, his stomach flutters a little as he turns to his destination.

Senku lifts his head from the current device he’s been dissecting. His eyes slightly soften at him, though the rest of his face doesn’t really change. In times where Senku is quiet and immersed in those overly complicated things Tsukasa could only _dream_ to understand at the moment, he reads the slight quirks of his eyes and brows.

“Senku, I got the tools you needed,” Tsukasa holds up a brown paper bag, the metal contents inside clinks from the movement.

“Oh, thanks,” Senku’s attention continues to focus on him as he walks over to the low coffee table. He accepts the bag with both hands and sets it down, carefully peeling the tape that seals the middle of the bag. Senku makes a noise of content, and sets the materials back into the bag.

“Do you have to train today?” Senku asks, filing through the pile of small computer chips on the coffee table. Tsukasa still doesn’t know what’s got Senku so into looking at little grid-shaped squares like he’s looking at the love of his life, but he’s long known and accepted that that’s part of his charm. Watching him work doesn’t feel boring, and Senku’s all too happy to teach him a few things here and there.

“Yes,” Tsukasa nods. “Even though my coach won’t be there today, skipping a day will break my perfect track record.”

Senku lets out a generous chuckle. “You’re dedicated. Good to know.”

Their conversations sometimes only extend to a few brief exchanges, but they never felt awkward to Tsukasa. They both weren’t talkative either. He appreciates the comfortable and safe silence that he can’t get back at home. He appreciates it here with someone he can call a friend, at least on the surface for now. He still feels very much like a fish out of water.

He makes a goal, a small one, a promise to himself. One day he’ll feel brave enough to ask Senku to watch him train—

Or, Senku asks before Tsukasa.

“What, I can’t?” Senku says, disappointment written all over his brilliant red eyes.

“No, no, it’s not that,” Tsukasa flushes. “It might be...boring, all I do is train.” He winces at his own words. Just about the flimsiest excuse he had ever made but that’ll have to do. But of course, it doesn’t sway Senku at the least, and Tsukasa finds strange comfort in his unwavering decisions, despite the situation.

“Come on, you watch me work with suspicious looking substances all the while sitting still and watching me most of the time without even knowing what’s happening,” Senku says, incredulously with a hint of fondness attached to it. “And you haven’t complained once and you’re gonna tell me what you do is _boring_ ? You _can_ leave if you’re too bored of my company you know.”

Somehow, the implication that he’d get bored of him stings, and even rarer for Senku to sound somewhat guilty for thinking that he’s keeping Tsukasa here against his will. “I like watching you work.” Tsukasa says honestly, looking at him like he’s the only person in the world.

Senku's shoulder jumps, surprisingly startled, but he relaxes soon after. “That’s—that’s not what I meant.” His hand raises to cover his eyes, rubbing it. The tips of his ears are pink. For a moment, Tsukasa thinks Senku would’ve screamed if he was alone in the house.

.

In any case, Senku does make regular visits to his home gym (where Tsukasa takes his training classes with other students), mostly under the guise that he was just ‘on the way’ to buying another book about quantum physics (honestly, sometimes Tsukasa doesn’t believe he’s eleven, like, what the hell) at the mall—but Tsukasa knows better and _Senku_ knows better. Yet, this time he promptly dies on the spot when a flash of green buzzes in his peripheral.

This time he’s brought Taiju along.

His coach is kind enough to let his friends do as they please, but that one moment of distraction when he saw Senku promptly earned him an extra dozen rounds of stretching drills. In the corner of his eye, he sees Senku cracking up in amusement.

.

“I’m honestly not sure,” Tsukasa says in response to Senku’s inquiry. “It’s still too early to really pick a fighting style and stick to it, but my coach said if I have a closer goal in mind it’ll help me.”

“I’ve heard of all the stuff Senku told me about!” Taiju beams. “You’re talented enough to do anything!”

Tsukasa flushes.

“Oh, shut it. I’m just telling the truth.” Senku waves them off.

.

Senku’s rocket blows up at high altitude, but the dolls Yuzuriha crafted remain in the atmosphere. Tsukasa finally loses it, cries a little. His friends do as well. Yuzuriha catches his crying fit like a yawn and starts bawling as well. Taiju follows suit soon after. Senku _looks_ like he'd cry, but he distracts himself by rubbing Tsukasa’s back all the way home. Only when Yuzuriha and Taiju parted ways with them did Senku let a tear fall.

“God, you’re contagious, you know that right?” Senku says, exasperated. He’s _sulking._

“Good to know,” Tsukasa snorts, wiping the teardrop off Senku’s cheek.

.

Tsukasa makes it big, enough to support Mirai’s hospital fees, enough to spoil his friends a little with gifts, enough to finally let the world stop spinning him against his will and grow at his own pace for once. He finds a bit of joy in his line of work, keeping a good balance between his work and education. He flushes less when his friends catch him off guard, not because he’s gotten used to it, just a bit better at hiding it.

There’s more attention on him now, the good and the bad, most of which are superficial webs of attention that Tsukasa quickly learns to maneuver through, the young and old people alike.

He remains tightly knit to his small friend circle, supporting them in ways he can as someone to rely and be relied on. Media outlets flock to him like an oasis in a desert, seeking him out to make a guest appearance on their show. Some of them, Tsukasa did accept, only because his friends showed support for it.

.

“I’m going abroad over the summer,” Senku tells him. It was early March, some weeks before Senku’s middle school graduation. They are currently hanging at the balcony of Senku’s place, still a bit high from excitement after receiving specifics of Byakuya’s future space travel mission from said person himself.

Tsukasa hums, pulling back his locks of hair to one side. “What for?”

“Africa. I’ve been accepted to a program to assist and shadow the adults who are studying Ebola.”

“Mm. It’ll be the first summer we won’t be able to see each other much,” Senku remarks. “But I'm sure you got a lot on your plate.”

Tsukasa hums, thoughtfully. “It’s still a shame. But I wish you safe travels. Happy studying.”

Senku responds in kind. “Your wishes are heard loud and clear.”

.

Under the blanketed night sky, in a small hut perched on a tree, Tsukasa sits near the opening of the shelter, Senku currently mixing something as he sits next to him, and Taiju downstairs frolicking to and fro, happily volunteering for cleaning duty around the campfire this time.

Tsukasa looks out to the sky, head resting on the wall, feets slightly dangling off the floor. He had never seen such a rich night sky through his own eyes, realizing just now the weight of Senku’s praises for the night sky. Realizing how the sky is pressing down on him like it's a personal offense to the universe for a human being to be so small, and the sky so infinitely vast.

“Tsukasa,” Senku calls from next to him, though his attention doesn’t leave his mixing pot.

“Senku,” Tsukasa says, eyes still glued to the sky.

“I’m still considering what you said earlier,” Senku says, hesitantly. “Because I know you’re gonna ask again when we hit the hay.”

Tsukasa turns to him. “Is there truly nothing you want for your birthday? I missed a year.”

“Well, there’s no getting around that,” Senku grunts, resigned. “You were asleep. Don’t think decent presents are existent in this stone world.

“How about a lion? Make a good fur coat out of that.” Tsukasa offers, casually, ten billion percent serious.

“Tsukasa,” Senku throws daggers at him with his stare, just as serious.

“Are you sure?”

Senku sighs, though not out of annoyance, sets aside his mixing bowl. “Fine, I have something you can do for me instead.”

“And what might that be?”

Senku flinches a moment later, presumably something he’s thinking of. He then makes a vague gesture towards his face and lightly pats his cheeks twice. Tsukasa furrows his brows.

“Do this here.” It was quite possibly the vaguest order Senku had given him, very much the opposite of his usual demeanor, when he asked Tsukasa to retrieve some metal parts at the hardware store. But to Tsukasa, this was anything _but_ a vague order. Senku was quite literally handing over his entire world to him in this moment, under the city’s dimmed night stars that he loves so much.

Tsukasa stills at that moment, anticipation bubbles in his chest and he could feel the heat rising in his face. After a tense consideration, he decides to feel _lost_. He hesitantly mirrors Senku’s actions and pats his own cheek. As he expects it, Senku visibly wilts, in a way that only Tsukasa knew. Panicking, Tsukasa opens his mouth to say something, only for Senku to talk again.

“No. Not that.” Senku’s presses on, his expression beginning to waver first in his eyes that was usually always so dashingly shrewd, and pain spears through Tsukasa’s gut for ever eliciting this reaction out of him. “You know,” Senku offers, “like what birds do with their beaks.”

“Beaks—”

“Whatever, if you don’t get it then just leave it,” Senku dismisses it too quickly, embarrassed.

A flurry of emotions rushes across Tsukasa’s mind and his hand that move without a second thought, leading Tsukasa on to take Senku’s wrists and gently pulling him towards him. Tsukasa sinks onto Senku’s shoulder as he brought his hand up, finding the courage to finally bring him close.

How nervous Tsukasa feels at this moment, like the world suddenly ripping apart like a rubber band reaching the end of its elasticity and then shattering like glass if he makes the wrong step, but almost none of his fear made it to his voice, the fruits of repeated exposure to the public and television, he muses quietly.

“May I have the honor of doing it here instead?” Tsukasa’s finger ghosts over the surface of Senku’s lips. Senku’s arms were nothing short of awkward, a stranger to intimate hugs even with such a skinship loving father, but this situation is obviously different than that.

Seemingly still retaining a shred of himself not lost to nerves, Senku manages to retort, “You greedy man,” as Tsukasa shifts quickly and presses his lips onto him, Senku promptly melts, as does he.

There were only the sounds of crickets and the rustle of leaves from the wind right now, but none made it to their ears.

“When have you known me not to be greedy?” Tsukasa says as they finally pull apart for air. He almost loses it when he sees the biggest smile erupt from Senku’s face.

Senku rolls his eyes, the smile still there, crooked and awkward, lovingly so, “Never.” He lifts his hands and brings it to Tsukasa’s head, pulling him down to face his height.

Their foreheads touch, and Tsukasa welcomes the warmth of Senku’s lips once more. They lap over each other, their current sitting position doesn't quite translate into something comfortable, but nothing’s really been close to the modern lenses of comfort during these days since they woke. It was not perfect, nor did it need to be, he couldn't care less if his kisses are nothing like those in Mirai’s fairytale books. It is a kiss that’s wholly Senku, inexperience but eager all the same, just like him.

Taiju’s singing sounds in the distance, growing closer by the second. They finally, but slowly pull apart, peeling away from each other with all the reluctance in the world.

“Next time?” Tsukasa asks, a bit breathless, bringing a few stray strands of hair behind his ears.

Senku wheezes, in worse shape than him. He covers his eyes with a hand and rubs it, his cheeks and ears flushed. “You really don’t know how those two words make me feel,” A choked noise rises from the back of Senku’s throat. “how much hope they give me, _hell_ , Tsukasa.”

Tsukasa hears the pout in his voice even if he didn’t mean it. _This is so irrational_. The unspoken words ring true in Senku’s eyes, but are quickly lost to the once intimate air they shared.

He gives him a smile, a secretive one only for him, and says his name with all the reverence he holds for him. “I could say the same for you, Senku.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly i put this off for way too long until something snapped in me and ... this happened after i blinked, writing is evil
> 
> hope none of this is too ooc // eep  
> thank you for reading!


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